How Long Does It Take for Color to Come Back After IPL? (photo)

I had an IPL done on my arms 11 days ago, and when the dark areas came off I was left with pink/white skin that is much lighter than my original coloring. How long will this take to heal? Are there any other treatment options? I have had my face, back and chest done multiple times before with success.

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3 Doctor Answers | Asked by KellyCA

Doctor Answers (3)
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IPL should be performed on the arms with great caution !

The face, neck, chest and hands do respond very well to IPL when performed at the correct settings for your skin type. In contrast, the arms are very special and require lower settings for your first treatment. There are unfortunately alot of pictures similiar or worse than yours on the internet...bars of white that can last for months. The good news the pigment does typically return and your arms will look normal again. Do stay... more

How long for color to return after IPL

It is difficult to say how long it will take the color to return to normal, but typically I would say 2-3 months. Make sure you are going to a medically-supervised clinic for your IPL or laser treatments to minimize this risk of discoloration and more importantly burns.

Benjamin Barankin, MD

10 reviews

Toronto Dermatologic Surgeon

IPL/FotoFacial for pigmentation on the arms

Although IPL can be done successfully on the arms, that area can be tricky. The best way to approach treating pigmentation on the arms, shoulders is to 1) pretreat with a glycolic lotion, 2) have your clinician perform 2-3 chemical peels in the area to reduce excess pigment and break it up. Then a series of IPL can be done carefully (using a longer wavelength) and meticulously (as seen in the picture, the lightguide was turned every direction, with gaps... more